Straight North

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Internally, the site has given our team a sense of pride and professionalism that we hadn’t had in the past. We’re a family-run company that was working out of a small home office, and in the last two years, we’ve expanded and built warehouse and office facilities. Part of that growth is having a professional website that we can share with potential customers. The site much more accurately reflects our company than our past companies did.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

As a family-run company, we didn’t have the time or focus to put toward completing the tasks that were necessary to get everything done. Straight North was amazingly understanding and gave us gentle reminders to make sure we hadn’t forgotten about things, but they weren’t pushy when we explained it wasn’t the right time. They were exceptional in customer service.

Natalie definitely went above and beyond. She would send little reminders, especially if something was changing on their end; for instance, she was great about letting us know when they had other projects coming up and what they could get done if we provided the necessary materials beforehand. That heads up was really helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In comparison to our experiences with other developers in the past, communication is definitely one aspect that Straight North excelled in. Trying to communicate with past developers was like pulling teeth, and working with Straight North was a dramatically better experience. I can’t emphasize enough how exceptional their communication was and how helpful it was to the whole process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, no. They were super flexible and helpful, and they really came through on the requests that we had for our website. I was worried that our requests were too vague, but they came back with concrete ideas that really helped us out.

Any advice for potential customers?

My advice for any new client would be to really think about what you want. Look at other websites and see what you like about those sites and what tools might be useful for your own. Think it through better than we did before you start; we hadn’t really thought some of those questions through.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We measured their success by website traffic, and they did an amazing job. It was a short-term engagement but it had a lot of potential. If we continued for the long term, we would’ve seen a really good ROI.

Their team accommodated any comments that we had. In the beginning, we needed to change the tone of the content to align with our brand. They were responsive and made the changes.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

Before we started the work, we had a point of contact who did an incredible job of facilitating the whole process. Their team created a project plan. Courtney was our main point of contact and in charge of our account. We had bi-weekly calls to talk about updates. She was responsive to any questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Across the board, their team’s communication skills are phenomenal. They’re excellent communicators not just in terms of responsiveness but also in terms of clarity and providing additional details. If I had to make that decision again, we would go with Straight North.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I cannot think of anything for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re receptive and responsive to feedback, so don’t keep anything to yourself. Ask them questions and give them comments because they’ll act on it. Also, make sure that you have the right address for their headquarters. We were appreciative and sent them a thank you basket to their downtown office but the majority of them are in their suburban office.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Due to Straight North’s work, there’s been an increase in qualified leads. I’ve received a lot of feedback from our sales group, and I’m excited to see what work Straight North will do with our Google Ads account.

In December, our redesigned website launched. Next month, I’m going to see how it’s doing compared to our older sites. When I have looked at Google Analytics, I’ve seen positive results with a lower bounce rate and an increase in time on page.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

A majority of my communication is through email with Greg. There is also a platform that I can log into that shows all of our leads and traffic. We also have biweekly calls.

The communication between us has been great. Whenever I need something, Greg is on top of it. He’s always ready to help and answer my questions. He strives to help me understand everything that’s going on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism is noteworthy. Along with being skilled in their field, their communication style is also impressive. The team at Straight North does the work they say they’re going to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing that I can think of right now. My experience with them has been good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients need to put in the right effort. If you think you’re going to hire an agency to do all of the work and let it be, it’s really a partnership. The effort on your side needs to be put in as much as their side. I believe that’s what made our partnership successful through transparent communication and putting in the effort. Customers need to put in their weight and not rely only on Straight North.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’ve done very well for us. In the short amount of time we’ve been open, we’ve probably saved money regarding ad clicks that don’t pertain to us. Their experience with Chicago Scanning helps them quite a bit in identifying potential conversions. I don’t have a measurement to put it up against, but, from what I’ve seen, we’re doing more business than what I thought we’d do in the beginning. We’re definitely getting our name out there.

The sales we’ve spent ad money on in the last few months probably won’t come to fruition for another month or two. Our product is an elective expenditure, so people look around and see what’s out there. Our business could come months down the road based on current advertising.

How did Straight North perform from a project management standpoint?

Taylor is awesome at getting back to me and keeping me in the loop about what’s going on. They seem like they’re pinpointing the clients we’re looking for, which prevents me from spending money on advertising that would bring sales. Overall, they’re helping us greatly, and I look forward to seeing more pinpointed feedback and qualified leads. We’re definitely generating business from what they’re doing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It takes longer to get a business off the ground when you’re relying on something you’re not too familiar with, but they’ve done a great job. They had the experience from our quasi-partner, so they had the puzzle pieces ready to go. All they had to do was connect them. When you’re starting a business, you want to start making money fast, so this felt like it took a couple of extra weeks. Looking back, however, it went faster than it probably should have. I give them a lot of credit for getting it running as fast as they did.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything measurable. I feel like they’re doing everything right, which is why we’re still with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Call them as soon as you can. They certainly know what they’re doing with PPC.